Citation

Van Nieuwenhuijzen M, Orobio de Castro B, Van Aken MAG, Matthys W. J. Intellect. Disabil. Res. 2009; 53(3): 233-242.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01112.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Background A growing interest exists in mechanisms involved in behaviour problems in children with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intelligence (MID/BI). Social problem solving difficulties have been found to be an explanatory mechanism for aggressive behaviour in these children. However, recently a discrepancy was found between automatic and reflective responding in social situations. We hypothesise that low impulse control and aggressive social problem solving strategies together may explain mechanisms involved in aggressive behaviour by children with MID/BI.

Method In a clinical sample of 130 children with MID/BI receiving intramural treatment, main, moderating and mediating effects of impulse control and aggressive response generation on aggressive behaviour were examined by conducting hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses.

Results Independent main effects of both impulse control and aggressive response generation on aggressive behaviour were found. Results indicated that low impulse control and aggressive response generation each explain unique variance in aggressive behaviour.

Conclusions As this study is the first that has shown both impulse control and aggressive response generation to be important predictors for aggressive behaviour in children with MID/BI, future research should further examine the nature of relations between low impulse control and social problem solving.